1. Field
The present specification relates to a personal digital assistant including a touch panel which can detect contact or the like of an external conductor such as a user's finger or the like by detecting change in capacitance.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, highly-functional personal digital assistants having phone call functions called so-called smart phones have come into widespread use. This highly-functional personal digital assistant frequently includes a touch panel as an operation input device for a user. Note that touch panels may be equipped to not only highly-functional personal digital assistants but also conventional cellular telephones for performing audio phone calls. With the following description, these highly-functional personal digital assistants and conventional personal digital assistants which have phone call functions will not be distinguished, and will be referred to as personal digital assistants.
Also, the above personal digital assistant includes, in addition to a phone call application program for an audio phone call, various application programs, for example, such as an e-mail application program for performing creation of an e-mail, and an outgoing call/incoming call, a Web application program for performing Web connection, display of a Web screen thereof, and so forth, and so forth.
Of multiple application programs that a conventional personal digital assistant includes, the phone call application program is made to be a program that can also execute, in addition to outgoing/incoming call processing at the time of an audio phone call, and actual audio phone call processing, other processing relating to this audio phone call.
Here, as one of programs for executing other processing relating to the audio phone call, the phone call application program also includes a program that executes processing for suspending a display panel or touch panel at the time of an audio phone call being performed. That is to say, after receiving incoming of an audio phone call, when a user moves this personal digital assistant to his/her ear to perform the phone call, this causes this terminal to be in generally erected state, and also to come close to the user's head, the phone call application program can also execute processing for suspending the display panel and touch panel.
Description will be made below regarding details of the processing for the personal digital assistant suspending the display panel and touch panel at the time of the phone call application program being executed, with reference to FIG. 20, FIG. 21, and FIG. 22.
FIG. 20 illustrates a schematic view with a conventional personal digital assistant 100 as viewed from the side face.
As shown in this FIG. 20, this personal digital assistant 100 includes a display panel 101, and also, a touch panel having a size generally covering the display screen thereof is provided to the front surface of this display panel 101.
The touch panel has a configuration wherein multiple transparent electrode patterns are arrayed in the X-Y direction on the panel surface made up of transparent sensor glass, and is a device wherein change in capacitance is detected by the transparent electrode patterns thereof, thereby enabling detection that an external conductor such as the user's finger or the like comes into contact with the panel surface, and output of X-Y coordinate position information on the panel surface where this external conductor comes into contact.
Also, the conventional personal digital assistant 100 shown in FIG. 20 includes a proximity sensor 102 in a predetermined position on the screen side of the display panel 101 and also near an edge portion of a casing. This proximity sensor 102 is a device having narrow directivity as shown in a dotted line in FIG. 20 for example, and also takes from the sensor installation surface to distance up to a certain extent as a proximity detection area 105.
Further, the personal digital assistant 100 includes an acceleration sensor within the casing thereof (illustration thereof is omitted in FIG. 20). For example, when the personal digital assistant 100 moves within real space, this acceleration sensor detects acceleration due to movement thereof.
After receiving incoming of an audio phone call, when detecting that this terminal has moved to the user's ear and become a generally erected state, from acceleration information of the acceleration sensor, and also when detecting that this terminal has come closer to the user's head (ear or the like), from the proximity sensor 102, the personal digital assistant 100 having the above configuration executes suspending processing such that the backlight of the display panel 101 is turned off, and a contact detection function of an external conductor using the touch panel is temporarily suspended.
Note that, in the event that the suspending processing is being executed, for example, when detecting from the acceleration information of the acceleration sensor that this terminal has been set to a state different from the generally erected state, or when detecting from the proximity sensor 102 that this terminal has been moved away from the user's head or the like, the personal digital assistant releases suspension of the display panel 101 and touch panel.
FIG. 21 illustrates a schematic software structure diagram at the time of the phone call application program realizing processing for spending the display panel and touch panel based on the detection signals of the proximity sensor and acceleration sensor at the time of an audio phone call. Note that, with this software structure diagram shown in FIG. 21, for convenience of description, the hardware configurations of a proximity sensor 118 (proximity sensor 102 in FIG. 20), an acceleration sensor 116, a touch panel 119, a backlight 117 of the display panel are also drawn.
In this FIG. 21, the touch panel 119 has, as described above, a configuration wherein multiple transparent electrode patterns are arrayed in the X-Y direction on the panel surface of the transparent sensor glass.
A touch panel driver 115 is driver software for performing control of the operation and scanning of the touch panel 119. This touch panel driver 115 performs scanning of each of the transparent electrode patterns in the X direction and Y direction of the touch panel 119 to detect the capacitance value of each transparent electrode pattern, and outputs the coordinate values of each transparent electrode pattern and the detection value of capacitance thereof to a later-described framework.
The acceleration sensor 116 detects acceleration, as described above, when the personal digital assistant 100 moves within real space, for example.
The acceleration sensor driver 112 is driver software for controlling detection of the operation and acceleration of the acceleration sensor 116. When acceleration is detected at the acceleration sensor 116, this acceleration sensor driver 112 outputs the acceleration detection value thereof to a later-described framework 111.
The display backlight 117 is the backlight of the display panel 101.
A backlight driver 113 is driver software for controlling on/off, brightness at the time of on, and so forth of the display backlight 117. This backlight driver 113 controls on/off, and brightness at the time of the display backlight 117 being on, under the control from a later-described framework 111.
The proximity sensor 118 is the proximity sensor 102 in FIG. 20, and is a device having narrow directivity and also predetermined detection distance as shown in the proximity detection area 105.
A proximity sensor driver 114 is driver software for controlling the operation and proximity detection of the proximity sensor 118. When the proximity sensor 118 detects proximity of an external object such as the user's head or the like, this proximity sensor driver 114 outputs a proximity detection signal thereof to a later-described framework 111.
The framework 111 is configured of a proximity detection control/computing unit 123, an acceleration measurement control/computing unit 121, a backlight control unit 122, and a touch detection control/computing unit 124 as a software structure for executing suspending processing for turning off the display backlight 117, and also temporarily suspending the detection function of the touch panel 119 based on the detection signals of the proximity sensor 118 and acceleration sensor 116. Note that the proximity detection control/computing unit 123, acceleration measurement control/computing unit 121, backlight control unit 122, and touch detection control/computing unit 124 of the framework 111 may be formed by an OS (Operating System), or may be formed by the application programs, for example, such as a phone call application program. The phone call application program can cooperate with these frameworks.
The acceleration measurement control/computing unit 121 controls the operation of the acceleration sensor 116 equipped to this personal digital assistant 100 through the acceleration sensor driver 112. Also, based on the acceleration detection value from the acceleration sensor 116 supplied via the acceleration sensor driver 112, the acceleration measurement control/computing unit 121 can compute acceleration applied to this personal digital assistant 100, and also determine, based on computed acceleration value thereof, whether or not the personal digital assistant 100 is in a state close to generally vertical within real space.
The proximity detection control/computing unit 123 controls the operation of the proximity sensor 118 equipped to this personal digital assistant through the proximity sensor driver 114. Also, based on the proximity detection signal of the proximity sensor 118 supplied via the proximity sensor driver 114, the proximity detection control/computing unit 123 can determine the proximity or distancing of the external object as to this personal digital assistant 100.
The backlight control unit 122 controls on/off, brightness at the time of being on, and so forth of the display backlight 117 equipped to this personal digital assistant 100 through the backlight driver 113.
The touch detection control/computing unit 124 controls the operation of the touch panel 119 equipped to this personal digital assistant 100 through the touch panel driver 115, and also at the time of the capacitance value and coordinate values of each transparent electrode pattern being supplied, based on these information, determines what kind of input operation the user performed as to the touch panel 119.
With the framework ill in FIG. 21, after determination is made at the acceleration measurement control/computing unit 121 that this personal digital assistant 100 is in a state generally close to vertical within real space, in the event that determination is made at the proximity detection control/computing unit 123 that the external object has come closer to this personal digital assistant 100, the backlight control unit 122 executes suspending processing for turning off the display backlight 117 through the backlight driver 113, and also, the touch detection control/computing unit 124 executes suspending processing for temporarily suspending the detection function of the touch panel 119 through the touch panel driver 115.
FIG. 22 illustrates a schematic flowchart of processing for the phone call application program suspending the display panel and touch panel based on the detection signals of the proximity sensor and acceleration sensor at the time of an audio phone call.
In this FIG. 22, for example, there has been an incoming call for an audio phone call, and for example, when instruction input (on-hook instruction input) to the effect that this incoming will be received is performed from the user, the phone call application program advances the processing to step S101.
Upon proceeding to the processing in step S101, the acceleration measurement control/computing unit 121 of the framework determines, based on the acceleration detection value from the acceleration sensor 116 supplied via the acceleration sensor driver 112, whether or not this personal digital assistant 100 is, for example, in a state close to generally vertical within real space. Note that the acceleration measurement control/computing unit 121 returns the processing while this personal digital assistant 100 is not in a state close to generally vertical. In the event of determining that this personal digital assistant 100 is in a state close to generally vertical, the phone call application program advances the processing to step S102.
Upon proceeding to the processing in step S102, the proximity detection control/computing unit 123 of the framework starts the operation of the proximity sensor 118 through the proximity driver 114, and executes proximity detection processing of an external object, for example, such as the user's face or the like. Also, the proximity detection control/computing unit 123 determines, based on the proximity detection signal of the proximity sensor 118 supplied via the proximity sensor driver 114, whether or not the external object such as the user's face or the like has come closer to this personal digital assistant 100, as processing of step S103. Upon the proximity of the external object being detected at the proximity sensor 118, the phone call application program advances the processing to step S104. That is to say, after determination is made at the acceleration measurement control/computing unit 121 that this personal digital assistant 100 is in a state close to generally vertical within real space, in the event that determination is made at the proximity detection control/computing unit 123 that the external object has come closer to this personal digital assistant 100, the processing is proceeded to step S104. Note that a long as this personal digital assistant 100 does not come closer to the external object, the phone call application program returns the processing to step S101.
Upon proceeding to the processing in step S104, the backlight control unit 122 of the framework executes suspending processing for turning off the display backlight 117 through the backlight driver 113. Also, the touch detection control/computing unit 124 executes suspending processing for temporarily suspending the detection function of the touch panel 119 through the touch panel driver 115. After this processing in step S104, the phone call application program advances the processing to step S105.
Upon proceeding to the processing in step S105, the proximity detection control/computing unit 123 of the framework determines, based on the proximity detection signal supplied from the proximity sensor 118, through the proximity driver 114, whether or not the external object such as the user's face or the like has come closer to this personal digital assistant 100.
In the event that in step S105 the proximity detection control/computing unit 123 determines that the external object such as the user's face or the like is not moving away from (is close to) this personal digital assistant 100, the phone call application program advances the processing to step S106.
Upon proceeding to the processing in step S106 after the proximity detection control/computing unit 123 determines in step S105 that the external object such as the user's face or the like is not moving away from this personal digital assistant 100, the acceleration control/computing unit 121 determines, based on the acceleration detection value supplied from the acceleration sensor 116, through the acceleration sensor driver 112, whether or not this personal digital assistant 100 maintains a state generally vertical.
In the event that the acceleration control/computing unit 121 determines in step S106 that this personal digital assistant 100 maintains a state close to generally vertical, the phone call application program advances the processing to step S108.
Also, in the event that the proximity detection control/computing unit 123 determines in step S105 that the external object such as the user's face or the like has moved away from this personal digital assistant 100, the audio application program advances the processing to step S107.
In the event of proceeding to the processing in step S107 since the external object such as the user's face or the like has moved away from this personal digital assistant 100, the backlight control unit 122 of the framework executes, through the backlight driver 113, resuming processing for turning on the display backlight 117, and the touch detection control/computing unit 124 executes, through the touch panel driver 115, resuming processing for restoring the detection function using the touch panel 119.
Also, in the event that the acceleration control/computing unit 121 determines in step S106 that the personal digital assistant 100 has been changed to another state from a state close to generally vertical, the phone call application program advances the processing to step S107.
In the event of proceeding to the processing in step S107 since the personal digital assistant 100 has been changed to another state from a state close to generally vertical, the backlight control unit 122 of the framework executes, through the backlight driver 113, resuming processing for turning on the display backlight 117, and the touch detection control/computing unit 124 executes, through the touch panel driver 115, resuming processing for restoring the detection function using the touch panel 119.
After the processing in step S107, the phone call application program returns the processing to step S101.
Also, in the event of proceeding to the processing in step S108 after the acceleration control/computing unit 121 determines in step S106 that the personal digital assistant 100 maintains a state close to generally vertical, the phone call application program determines whether or not the audio phone call by the user is completed. Note that end of this audio phone call can be determined based on whether or not end of the call has been performed by the other party of the call, or whether or not off-hook instruction input for end of the phone call has been performed by the user of the personal digital assistant 100, or the like.
In the event that determination is made in step S108 that the audio phone call is completed, the backlight control unit 122 of the framework executes, through the backlight driver 113, resuming processing for turning on the display backlight 117, or the touch detection control/computing unit 124 executes, through the touch panel driver 115, resuming processing for restoring the detection function using the touch panel 119. The audio application program then ends the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 22.